Archive · 6 Sep 2026
Eight Engineering Students Killed in Kerala Highway Crash
Eight college students were traveling in a car in Kerala on Friday night.
They were going from Guruvayur toward Kodungallur.
Their car hit the back of a lorry that was standing on the highway.
The road was being widened, and traffic had been moved through a diversion.
Police said the car was moving quickly and may have missed a warning barricade.
Officials also said the lorry was parked illegally and was hard to see because of poor lighting and missing reflectors.
All eight students died.
The lorry driver left the scene, and police registered a case against him.
Eight 20-year-old engineering students from Tamil Nadu died after their car struck a stationary goods lorry on National Highway 66 in Kerala.
The crash occurred around 11:40 p.m. Friday at Panambikkunnu Centre near Kaipamangalam in Thrissur district.
The students were traveling from Guruvayur toward Kodungallur in a Tamil Nadu-registered car.
Police said the car was speeding and may have missed diversion barricades during highway-widening work.
Authorities said the lorry was illegally parked on a closed lane, while its driver fled and was booked under Section 105 of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita.
- Who
- Eight 20-year-old engineering students from PSNA College of Engineering and Technology in Dindigul, Tamil Nadu, were killed; the lorry driver fled.
- What
- A car carrying the students crashed into the rear of a stationary Maharashtra-registered goods lorry.
- When
- Around 11:40 p.m. on Friday.
- Where
- Panambikkunnu Centre on National Highway 66 near Kaipamangalam in Thrissur district, Kerala.
- Why
- Police attributed the crash to the car’s high speed and a possible failure to notice diversion barricades; officials also said the lorry was illegally parked on a closed lane and lacked adequate visibility measures.
- Deaths
- Eight engineering students
- Victims’ age
- All were 20 years old
- Crash time
- Around 11:40 p.m. Friday
- Location
- Panambikkunnu Centre, National Highway 66, near Kaipamangalam, Thrissur
- Travel route
- Guruvayur toward Kodungallur
- Road conditions
- Highway-widening work, lane closures, and a traffic diversion
- Police action
- The lorry driver was booked under Section 105 of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita after allegedly fleeing the scene
- Safety review
- Thrissur authorities ordered a joint inspection of highway lighting, barricades, signage, road maintenance, and illegal parking
